Speed-regulator for plunger-elevators.



G. I. ALDEN. SPEED REGULATOR FOR PLUNGER ELEVATORS.

APPLICATION FILED IBB.25, 1907.

Patented Aug. 22, 1911.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE I. ALDEN, 0F WORCESTER, MASSACI-IUS COMPANY, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

SPEED-REGULATOR FOR PLUNGER-ELEVATORS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 22, 1911.

Application filed February 25, 1907. Serial No. 359,230.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, Gnoncn I. ALDEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at WVorcester, in the county of IVorcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Speed-Regulators for Plunger-Elevators, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to safety devices for elevators of the plunger type, and one of its objects is the provision of simple and eflicient means for regulating the speed of a plunger elevator car.

Other objects of the invention will appear hereinafter, the novel-combinations of elements being pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a plunger elevator system in elevation with my invention applied thereto; Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional elevation showing the details of the means for effecting the objects of my invention; Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view of the safety cage on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; Fig. i is a horizontal sectional view in plan of the safety cage on the line 4-4: of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional plan view of the safety cage on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2; and Fig. 6 shows one-form of safety cagethat may be used to effect the objects of my invention.

In Fig. 1 is shown a plunger elevator system of usual construction comprising a car C, counterweight 1, counterweight sheave 2, overhead beam 1, counterweight cable 3, change valve 5 with its supply port 6 and exhaust port 7, means 8 for operating the change valve, a plunger 9, and a cylinder 10. The upper section 11 of the plunger cylinder is preferably enlarged in diameter but may be of the same diameter as the usual cylinder 10 or even of smaller diameter. It is preferable to make the upper section 11 of larger diameter in order to provide suflicient space for the safety valve or ring and the fixed ring with which it coacts.

l6 designates a heavy cage cylindrical in shape, of any suitable metal. This cage may be of any desired shape or form, but in this instance it in reality comprises three rings connected together by vertical bars 16, thus leaving lateral openings for a freer flow of the motor-fluid to the space beneath the plunger. These lateral openings may, how ever, be such as to limit the upward speed of travel of the car.

As viewed in Fig. 2', annular spaces 17 and 17 are left between the ring 16 consid ered as a whole, and the inner surface of the upper section 11 of the plunger cylinder. There is also an annular space 18 between the plunger 9 and the cage16 but it will be seen that when the cage by means of the lateral projections 30, is resting on the fixed ring 19, which may be held in place by the screws 20, there is sufficient space provided for the free flow of motor-fluid from the supply port 27 through the annular space 17 and thence through the openings in the cage 16, the annular space 18, again through the openings in the cage 16, and finally through the annular space 17', to the space beneath the plunger. The aperture through which the motor fluid flows between the supply port 27 and the space beneath the plunger may also be called a port.

5 Under normal conditions the cage 16 is made of sufiicient weight or may be weight ed by placing one or more pieces of heavy material 21 in the upper annular cup 2 1, to cause the projections 30 to remain in en gagement with the ring 19 to support the cage l6 in the position shown in Fig. 2. When the car and its plunger are ascending, the-cage 16 remains in its lowermost position and the motor-fluid passes through the change-valve, the to-and-from pipe, and the port 27, and thence past the cage 16 to beneath the plunger, as before explained. When the elevator plunger descends the water is forced upwardly through the annular spaces in the cage with a velocity directly proportional to the velocity with which the elevator plunger descends. The higher the velocity with which the water flows upwardly through the cage, the greater its tendency to carry the same along with it, due to the pressure which the flowing water exerts on the parts of thccage and in the direction which the water is flowing. There'will, therefore, be a certain velocity of the water which will exert sufficient pressure upon the cage to lift it to an extent'de pendent upon the speed of the plunger and consequently upon the speed. of outflow of the motor-fluid. There will,'therefore, be a ETTS, ASSIGNOR TO OTIS ELEVATOR proportion to the speed of the plunger until the radial stops 31 engage the fixed ring 19 and the valve ring 29 seats itself thereon, at which point the flow of the motor-fluid will be throttled to a maximum degree and the speed of the elevator plunger reducedaccordingly.

The requisite throttling after the valve is seated may be obtained in many specifically different ways. Preferably the valvering or cylinder 29 is of suflicient internal diameter to leave a restricted annular space 33 so that even though the valve member 29 is in engagement with the ring 19, the

motor-fluid may still escape from the cylinder at a slow rate of speed and thus prevent the car from being stopped too suddenly should the pressure within the plunger cylinder rise abnormally very suddenly. Under ordinary conditions of operation, however, the safety ring or cylinder valve 29 is intended to act as a throttling device to prevent the car from descending beyond a predetermined speed as predetermined particularly by the total weight of the said ring and the parts moving therewith. In such case the space 33 may be just sufficient to allow the free passage of the plunger 9 in its up and down movement. When the valve ring 29 is seated'on the ring 19 and the motor-fluid passes through the annular space 33, it may continue on its way to the port 27 through the annular space 18, lateral openings in the cage 16, and the annular space 17; also through the annular space 32 between the reinforcing ring 28 and the plunger, and the annular space 31 between the weight-receiving cup 24 and the plunger.

It should be understood that the annular or cylindrical cage 16 and the cylindrical valve 29 carried thereby may be used alone, and their combined weight depended upon to eflect the objects of the invention. It will be seen that in Fig. 2 an annular cup 24 is provided for receiving one or more pieces of heavy metal, for instance, lead, so that the total weight of the ring may be increased or decreased within certain limits so as to pre-determine the speed that the car must attain before the valve will be lifted at all.

In the remote contingency of the cylinder-head 35, 23 blowing off, the apparatus would still operate to retard the speed of descent of the car by reason of the ring 19 I being fixed to the inner surface of the upper portion 11. Should the to and-from pipe be suddenly broken so as to allow free exhaust of the motor-fluid from the cylinder and the port 27, the throttlingv of the water by means of the upward movement of'the ring 16 may be too abrupt by the sudden shutting off of nearly all flow of water through the annular space 17. In such event the annular space 33, if provided,

the ring 19 and the parts co-acting therewith, may be placed at the upper end of the cylinder between the main portion of the cylinder 10 and the to-and-from pipe leading to the change valve apparatus.

Obviously many changes and variations in the details of construction and arrangement of parts may be made by those skilled in the art; without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention, and I desire,

therefore,,not to be limited or restricted to the particular construction and arrangement herein disclosed. It is also obvious that the associated operating parts may be varied, altered and changed in the details of' their construction and arrangement without affecting the principles of my invention.

Having thus fully described my inven-' tion, what I claim and desire to have protected by Letters Patent of. the United States is:

1. In a hydraulic elevator, the combination with a car, plunger and cylinder, a throttling device including a movable part carried within said cylinder, and acting to regulate the speed of outflow of the motorfluid, and an annular cup for receiving one or more articles of metal for assisting the weight of the movable part of said throttling device in normally holding said part in its lowermostposition.

2. The combination with a main cylinder of a plunger elevator, of a plunger movable in said cylinder, a valve control ing a variable passage between the cylinder port and the lower portion of the cylinder, and pres-' sure-controlled means valve.

3. In a hydraulic elevator, the combination with a car and its plunger, of a receiving cylinder for said plunger, and a movable device for throttling the flow of fluid through circularly 'and horizontally' arfor operating said ranged passages between the cylinder and the plunger. 7

4. In a hydraulic elevator, the combination with a car and its plunger, of a receiving cylinder for said plunger, and means for throttling the flow of "fluid through circularly and horizontally arranged passages between the cylinder and the plunger.

5. In a hydraulic elevator, the combination with a car and its plunger, of a receiving cylinder for said plunger, a fixed element, and a device movable relatively to said element for throttling the flow of fluid through circularly and horizontally arranged passages between the cylinder and the plunger.

6. The combination with a main cylinder of a plunger elevator, of a plunger movable in said cylinder, a valve controlling a passage between the cylinder port and the lower portion of the cylinder, and pressure controlled means for operating said valve.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE I. ALDEN. Witnesses:

CHARLES I. NEWTON, A. J. DUPRE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

